How is there not a built in Mark as Read in a book library program?

neonfire · 11-12-2022, 01:50 AM

There's been so many topics and the response is:
"Add a custom field!" "Use this other non-related function!"
These are from 2014! and the newest links say the same thing.

Is it so hard for the dev to implement such a basic and obvious feature?

DNSB · 11-12-2022, 02:23 AM

For myself, I don't use the calibre viewer other than to check ebooks after correcting errors and even that is not very useful most of the time since calibre's viewer is Chrome based and much more forgiving of errors than most renderers in dedicated ebook readers and apps. And that is the only place that the developers could guarantee access to the reading statistics.

I do have the reading statistics from my Kobo ereaders in custom column (Kobo Read Percentage, Kobo Last Read date and Kobo Reading Location) since those are values that can be automatically updated on each connect thanks to Kobo's open design.

Since the only device you list is a Kindle Basic and you are on firmware 5.15.1 which not jailbreakable, are you ready and able to supply the code that would be able to extract the reading statistics from the Kindle's normally inaccessible database to update calibre columns?

Trying to convince the developers that what you consider a "basic and obvious feature" should be implemented regardless of the necessity for a massive amount of device specific code is not going to be a trivial task. Especially since many devices simply do not make that information accessible.

If you are simply asking for manually updateable columns where you can keep track of your "just pirate books/comics" statistics, that's too much like manual labour to appeal to many calibre users.

ownedbycats · 11-12-2022, 02:26 AM

Along with what David said above, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Some users are happy with just a boolean, while others prefer integer for percentage read, and others prefer an enumerated column.

Grins · 11-12-2022, 02:49 AM

Within calibre itself, you can always use the "Rating" (0 to 5 stars) from the basic metadata (see "Edit metadata").

Any entry in that rating table will be shown in the ebook metadata once transferred back to the ereader.

And - at least with Kobo ereaders - you can refer to that ratings under "Collections".

kovidgoyal · 11-12-2022, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonfire

Is it so hard for the dev to implement such a basic and obvious feature?

Yes, I am incompetent, therefore implementing such a basic and obvious feature is beyond my skill set.

DNSB · 11-12-2022, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Yes, I am incompetent, therefore implementing such a basic and obvious feature is beyond my skill set.

Thanks, Kovid. I am now trying to clean tea out of my nostrils and off the keyboard.

neonfire · 11-12-2022, 03:08 AM

I'm not the first one with this question. Even down below in the "Similar Threads" it's mostly "How do I mark a book as read?"

You have a boolean column as default, and if the device can update the field, then great, if not it's a manual switch.

neonfire · 11-12-2022, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

If you are simply asking for manually updateable columns where you can keep track of your "just pirate books/comics" statistics, that's too much like manual labour to appeal to many calibre users.

I see what you're trying to get at, but you failed. How I got a book doesn't matter in the context of this topic. Tooltip: it doesn't work on purchased or loaned books either.

It's also more manual labor to have to read a guide on a website from 2014 to figure out how to add a custom column to the page.

Karellen · 11-12-2022, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonfire

... "How do I mark a book as read?"

You have a boolean column as default, and if the device can update the field, then great, if not it's a manual switch.

I use a 3 tier system to mark my books read.

1. I have a Last Read date
2. The book has a rating
3. The entry is Green. Red is unread, purple is "yet to purchase". Colours are based on tags.

Like others have said, there are so many options to mark a book read that it is not a "one fits all" scenario.

DNSB · 11-12-2022, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonfire

I see what you're trying to get at, but you failed. How I got a book doesn't matter in the context of this topic. Tooltip: it doesn't work on purchased or loaned books either.

It's also more manual labor to have to read a guide on a website from 2014 to figure out how to add a custom column to the page.

I was not the person who stated that they would "just pirate books/comics" in a public forum (what was it? the fourth message you posted on Mobileread?). Though I did feel that it gave a good sense of what your ethics are like.

OTOH, if you had read or even skimmed the calibre manual, you would have noticed the section on custom columns. You could even download the manual as an ebook to read on your favourite device.

I would suspect that I did not fail at what I was trying to get at. I do feel that any column requiring manual input should be a custom column since the number of people who will actually use a manual column is vanishingly small.

I remember using the late davidfor's Kobo Utilities ability to fetch the reading statistics from a Kobo ereader in 2013 and considering in the decade since how few implementations of that functionality for other ereaders have been created, it suggests that the task is a quite bit harder than you seem to think.

ownedbycats · 11-12-2022, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neonfire

You have a boolean column as default, and if the device can update the field, then great, if not it's a manual switch.

Boolean columns can be either tri-state (yes/no/undefined) or bistate (yes/no). So what do you set as default? Several glitches have happened in the past when a bit of code didn't account for this. Better to let the user do this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

I remember using the late davidfor's Kobo Utilities ability to fetch the reading statistics from a Kobo ereader in 2013 and considering in the decade since how few implementations of that functionality for other ereaders have been created, it suggests that the task is a quite bit harder than you seem to think.

Furthermore, Kobo Utilities uses an integer.

theducks · 11-12-2022, 11:17 AM

I simply use a date column.
As to Why. Simple. Devices don't have a consistent status method. Reason #2: I goof and open a book I HAVE Read and that would alter the recorded status when I did not want that.
Auto-Incorrect (coined by a CNET presenter?) is why I prefer to DO IT MYSELF.

hobnail · 11-12-2022, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Yes, I am incompetent, therefore implementing such a basic and obvious feature is beyond my skill set.

20 lashes with a wet noodle for being a bumbling fool.

Martinoptic · 11-12-2022, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobnail

20 lashes with a wet noodle for being a bumbling fool.

I expect he’d rather eat it.

Thank you for all your work on calibre Kovid.

neonfire · 11-12-2022, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

I was not the person who stated that they would "just pirate books/comics" in a public forum (what was it? the fourth message you posted on Mobileread?). Though I did feel that it gave a good sense of what your ethics are like.

Are you new to the internet?
Again, what does that have to do with this topic?

11-12-2022, 01:50 AM	#1
neonfire Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2022 Device: Kindle Basic 11th Gen 2022	How is there not a built in Mark as Read in a book library program? There's been so many topics and the response is: "Add a custom field!" "Use this other non-related function!" These are from 2014! and the newest links say the same thing. Is it so hard for the dev to implement such a basic and obvious feature?

11-12-2022, 02:26 AM	#3
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,844 Karma: 74203799 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	Along with what David said above, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Some users are happy with just a boolean, while others prefer integer for percentage read, and others prefer an enumerated column. Last edited by ownedbycats; 11-12-2022 at 02:29 AM.

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11-12-2022, 02:23 AM	#2
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 45,599 Karma: 168929308 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	For myself, I don't use the calibre viewer other than to check ebooks after correcting errors and even that is not very useful most of the time since calibre's viewer is Chrome based and much more forgiving of errors than most renderers in dedicated ebook readers and apps. And that is the only place that the developers could guarantee access to the reading statistics. I do have the reading statistics from my Kobo ereaders in custom column (Kobo Read Percentage, Kobo Last Read date and Kobo Reading Location) since those are values that can be automatically updated on each connect thanks to Kobo's open design. Since the only device you list is a Kindle Basic and you are on firmware 5.15.1 which not jailbreakable, are you ready and able to supply the code that would be able to extract the reading statistics from the Kindle's normally inaccessible database to update calibre columns? Trying to convince the developers that what you consider a "basic and obvious feature" should be implemented regardless of the necessity for a massive amount of device specific code is not going to be a trivial task. Especially since many devices simply do not make that information accessible. If you are simply asking for manually updateable columns where you can keep track of your "just pirate books/comics" statistics, that's too much like manual labour to appeal to many calibre users.

11-12-2022, 02:49 AM	#4
Grins Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 216 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Germany Device: Kobo(s), Pocketbook(s), MacBook Pro, iPhone	Within calibre itself, you can always use the "Rating" (0 to 5 stars) from the basic metadata (see "Edit metadata"). Any entry in that rating table will be shown in the ebook metadata once transferred back to the ereader. And - at least with Kobo ereaders - you can refer to that ratings under "Collections".

11-12-2022, 03:08 AM	#7
neonfire Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2022 Device: Kindle Basic 11th Gen 2022	I'm not the first one with this question. Even down below in the "Similar Threads" it's mostly "How do I mark a book as read?" You have a boolean column as default, and if the device can update the field, then great, if not it's a manual switch.

11-12-2022, 11:17 AM	#12
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,973 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I simply use a date column. As to Why. Simple. Devices don't have a consistent status method. Reason #2: I goof and open a book I HAVE Read and that would alter the recorded status when I did not want that. Auto-Incorrect (coined by a CNET presenter?) is why I prefer to DO IT MYSELF.